High-profile Speakers Bring Current Perspectives to the Classroom

On May 12, 2008, Dr. Peter Eigen, founder of Transparency International, member of the Advisory Commission on the United Nations Global Compact and part of the Commission on Globalization of the State of the World Forum, was a guest speaker at the Jones Graduate School of Management.

Dr. Eigen spoke to about 55 Rice MBA for Professionals students in the Businesss-Government Relations class taught by Lecturer of Management Nancy L. Sauer. His lecture focused on the impact of global corruption and how it affects economic development and quality of life issues worldwide. He described how his experiences working at the World Bank inspired him to form Transparency International, a non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on fighting government corruption.

Additionally, Dr. Eigen discussed the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a process that publishes and verifies government revenues generated by extractive industries to improve transparency in resource-rich countries. EITI, launched in 2002, is a global initiative that promotes revenue transparency at the local level of government.

Dr. John Kelly, coordinator in ExxonMobil’s Upstream Public Policy Issues Public Affairs group and a Ph.D. economics graduate of Rice, also spoke to the class, on ExxonMobil’s commitment to the work of EITI and his role as a member of EITI’s international board. Dr. Kelly, who joined Exxon in 1973, has advised management on international government and economic affairs for the past 18 years.

Classroom interaction with prominent business leaders provide Rice MBA students — many of whom are middle- or upper-level executives — insight into various industries and issues, and an opportunity to network with key experts in the field.

The Jones School offers lecture series featuring notable business figures throughout the school year that are open to the public.